Aurelian Hero
by Dreams In Azure
Summary: He was Hardin's right hand man, the leader of the Wolfguard and an adversary feared by all who opposed him. But his life has never been very straightforward. This is the story of a skilled Aurelian knight; his rise and, in a way, his fall. Rated T for mild swearing and descriptions of blood etc. in some chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Why

My life has mainly been one big emotional mess. From my earliest memories to now, the feelings and moments that have always been the clearest are the unpleasant ones; the pain, horror, fear and times so terrifying that I can't even begin to describe them. Mainly because I can't think of enough bad words.

I've often asked myself why. Not just on one specific thing, but on many. But I can never seem to find an answer to all the questions which I just can't ignore. All the inquiries I've never made. They cloud my mind and often prevent me from concentrating on things I'd much rather be doing instead.

All I know is that he's gone. My leader, my idol, everything I aspired to be. I served him loyally for uncountable years; nonchalant, calm, unshakable. Never seeming to miss a single thing. The right hand man and trusted friend of the only person I've ever looked up to. And I would have continued to be all of those things, right until the end. But in my blind servitude to him, I forgot something. Something that Sedgar reminded me of that one day near Pales. He said: "Wolf, do you remember what Coyote said to you, the day you became commander of the Wolfguard? 'If I should wander from the path of the righteous, please... lead me back onto it.'" I can't remember ever feeling so ashamed. Ashamed of the fact that I forgot the words of my liege, ashamed of my stubbornness and ashamed of my ridiculous ignorance towards the obvious problems with the one I served.

But I didn't let anyone see my pain. Sedgar, Vyland and Roshea were the only ones that really understood. They felt the same way as I, albeit slightly less intensely. They knew what I was going through. They could identify with the mental agony I was in. But I never told them anything. I just kept my head held high and carried on like I didn't care. I fooled prince Marth, I fooled that woman who was his most trusted knight, I even managed to deceive my brothers to a degree. But all the walls I built around myself just crumbled on the cursed day that I had to bring him to his knees. The one I had admired and loyally followed for so long, twisted and corrupted beyond any recognition.

Lord Hardin and I had come face-to-face on the field of battle. His black eyes glaring at me like a demon's and his red robes fluttering in the light breeze of the Akaneian plains, we just froze, staring at each other. He looked at me with complete hatred, something I had never before seen and thought I never would. I was the only one with an opening. I was the only one who could bring him down. Conflicting voices had battled fiercely in my head like never before. I didn't know what to do, even though I had already lived that dreaded moment a million times.

Even now it seems unbelievable that I ended up squaring off against the one I had always striven to protect and assist. How it happened, however, is a rather long story.

It had all started in the north-east plains of Aurelis, in the house of some important aristocrat. I never really bothered to find out who he was. All I know is that I was given orders and expected to follow them without hesitation. I was nothing more than a slave; a weak, helpless boy who knew as much about free will as Medeus knew about peace. I never questioned and I never disobeyed. Part of this was because I didn't know any different, but mainly it was for fear of the punishment that would follow if I were to do so. Either way, I could and will never forget that one, fateful day that changed my life forever...

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**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2: Freed

**A/N: Here I am, back with another chapter! Updates in future probably won't be this quick, seeing as this installment was pretty much finished by the time I'd gotten this account and posted the first one. But you never know. Also, the location error in the previous chapter has been corrected. Whoops. And I am aware that Wolf is not actually this timid in either of the Fire Emblem games where you get him, I just think that his personality (if you could call it that) likely developed later on. All the same, enjoy!**

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I cringe as the master of the house sweeps into the bleak room in which I kneel, an air of frustration about him and an expression of utter distaste on his face.

"You," he says, shooting me a look that would make a Divine Dragon cower in fear. "Are a problem." making his way over to the window, he looks out. He seems almost nervous. "A very big problem." I swallow, the dryness in my throat and mouth making it exceedingly hard to do so.

"What do you... mean?" I ask tentatively, hoping he can't see how much I'm trembling.

"I mean," he continues, his voice like acid as he starts pacing up and down the room. "That the king and prince of this land, of Aurelis, are coming to see me today. And that, boy, is what makes you a problem." he stops, glowering down at me. "Do you know why?" I keep my head lowered and my gaze on the ground, not daring to look up.

"N-no..."

"Because recently new laws against slavery have been put in place. Stupid laws, but laws nonetheless." he pauses. "They state that one is not, strictly speaking, supposed to keep slaves. The person who created these rules, namely prince Hardin, says it's an appalling practice and that it should be abolished. But people have continued to keep them all the same, behind his majesty's back. But, if it were ever to be discovered that they were doing so," his frown deepens. "Then the consequences would be most dire. And I have no intention of enduring them. Therefore," his faces twists into a horrific snarl. "What to do with you?"

"I... I don't know..."

"Yes, there's precious little you seem to know." he muses, putting a finger on his bottom lip and looking at the ceiling in a calculating manner. "But all the same, I can't afford for the king to find out I've been breaking his laws. I don't wish to fall out of his favour. I could merely say that you are a servant rather than a slave, but then again..." my heart's beating fast and I'm starting to feel nauseous. _'But then again'... what? _I wonder, trying desperately to keep my breathing steady. "...But then again, maybe it would be easier just to dispose of you." I give a sharp intake of breath, prompting him to look back down at me. "Do you have a problem?"

"Please... don't..."

"Your opinions are of no concern to me." he says with a melodramatic sigh, turning to one of the guards standing by the door. "Get rid of him. Drown him, beat him to death, I don't care how. Just do it."

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I bite my lip as the whip comes down again, cutting across my back and leaving streaks of white hot pain in their wake. The world is fading in and out of focus, and every time it happens it takes longer for me to be able to see clearly again.

The earth beneath me is turning red. Every few seconds, the crimson substance that is my blood drips off me and seeps slowly into the ground, staining it the colour of the sky as the sun sinks slowly below the horizon. But I don't care. All I know is the pain that I'm feeling. The slightest movement sends waves of agony throughout my entire body, and breathing is becoming increasingly difficult. Rough ropes bind my hands to two wooden posts on either side of me, cutting into my wrists and forcing me to keep still.

I close my eyes in a desperate attempt to stop the world from spinning. The men who are beating me appear to be getting frustrated.

"Bloody kid refuses to die." grumbles one. "I thought the master of the house said 'e was weak."

"So did I." another complains. "This is taking forever..."

"Quit yer yacking!" the last says sharply, the other two immediately becoming silent. "I'll keep at this all night if I 'ave to." there's an awkward silence. All I can hear is the sound of my breathing and the pounding of my heart. _I don't want to die..._

"'Ere," the first finally says, "shouldn't the king 'an 'is brother 'ave arrived by now?"

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"Ah, your majesties." the politician said, rising from the chair behind his desk so as to greet them. "What a pleasure. I trust your journey was a pleasant one?"

"Yes, yes." the king replied irritably. His younger brother Hardin, who was walking a few feet behind his older sibling, merely nodded stiffly. "However, for now you may leave off the pleasantries. I have no want of them on this visit." the politician's smile faltered slightly, but didn't leave his face.

"Is something the matter, your highness?"

"Very much so." the king affirmed. "But I am afraid to report that the problem mostly lies with you."

"Me, your eminence?"

"Yes, you. I recently received a report from an anonymous source, informing me that you have been breaking certain laws concerning slavery." the politician's smile immediately disappeared.

"Wha... what?!"

"I do believe you heard me. Therefore, I am stripping you of your titles. All of them, whether you gained them from dishonest means or fair. You shall be taken back to the capital to await your sentence, and all those that you have enslaved are to be freed immediately. Now," he added with a sigh, doing a miraculously good job of ignoring the angry splutters from the accused. "I think I have spent quite enough time here. Good day."

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The shocked shouting coming from the front of the house causes me to lift my head slightly. I'm too weak to do any more than that, and even this simple action drains what little energy I had left. The three men in charge of my demise look alarmed, running to the front and leaving me by myself. I cough, the bitter taste of blood becoming more and more noticeable in my mouth. Closing my eyes, I struggle to catch my breath. I'm certain now that, unless some sort of miracle happens, there's no way I'm coming out of this alive. That's when I hear it. Footsteps. Not the hurried ones of the men whipping me, nor the lazy, calculating ones of the aristocrat I belong to. Either way, they're quickly drawing closer, eventually coming to a stop. I hear someone gasp.

"Oh, Naga..." the steps come even closer. I keep still, not that I could move even I wanted to, anyway. Then I feel my head being carefully tilted upwards. I force my eyes to open... and find myself staring straight into the face of someone I've never seen before. He puts one hand over his mouth, everything about him portraying the horror he seems to be feeling. I close my eyes again, too exhausted to keep them open any longer. I hear the stranger's voice. It seems to be calling to someone or something, but it seems very far away, and I can't make out the words. Then a strange dizziness overtakes me, and a few seconds later all I know is darkness.

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**Thanks for reading, please review! Pleeease!**


	3. Chapter 3: Loyalty And War

**Hello again! Despite my severe case of writer's block, I've managed to finish this. It might be a bit choppy in some places, I'm afraid, but hopefully the next one will be** **better. All the same, enjoy, and please review!**

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The next thing I remember is waking up in a place I didn't recognise; aching all over, so weak I could barely move, wishing the sunlight that streamed through the high windows would just go away because all I wanted to do was sleep. But, or so I thought at the time, that wasn't a luxury I would be allowed. Laziness brought severe punishments upon all who gave way to it.

It was at that point that I had attempted to sit up, only to be pushed back down by a girl I hadn't even noticed was there. She'd informed me that on no account was I to get up, and that lord Hardin was going to try to visit me later, as he was busy dealing with some lawbreaking aristocrat at the time.

My first thought was that I was dreaming. Especially when the aforementioned prince of Aurelis came in person to tell me that I was now free, and the politician that had originally been my master was to be banished from the kingdom. It had taken me several minutes to comprehend what he'd said, and even longer to actually believe it. But I did. More because I wanted to rather than anything else.

I met the others a few months later. Sedgar – who was about a year older than me – was the first to turn up. He and I had hit it off as soon as we met, the same with Vyland when he arrived. Roshea had been the last to appear; a rather scared looking boy who was younger than all of us, and had tried to hide behind Coyote's legs when we were first introduced. After a while, however, the four of us became inseparable friends. We were rarely seen apart, and, once we had recovered from our various injuries, lord Hardin offered to have us trained in combat as cavaliers and archers. Not exactly having anywhere else to go, we'd accepted.

Several years later, a month or so after we'd earned our titles as knights of Aurelis, Doluna rose to power. Allying themselves with Grust, they quickly resumed their former strength hastily cutting down anyone who opposed them. News soon reached us of king Cornelius of Altea's attempt to stop their armies, only to be betrayed by his ally, Gra, and killed on the field of battle. His children's whereabouts were unknown, although there were rumours that his son, prince Marth, had been able to avoid capture.

The next alarming bit of information was that Akaneia had fallen and all of the royal family save the princess had been slaughtered. This wasn't helped by the fact that Medon's king, Osmond, had recently been assassinated. Michalis, his eldest child famed for his skills as a dragon rider, ascended to the throne. Much to everyone's shock, however, he allied his country with Doluna; forcing his people to enlist in the army and imprisoning his youngest sister, princess Maria, in attempt to keep his middle sister in line.

Unfortunately, we didn't have time to worry about this. As soon as Medeus had taken Altea and Akaneia, he turned his red, reptilian eyes to Aurelis. Calling the people to arms, lord Hardin fought back. But as the fighting dragged on, our army became more and more diminished. Eventually Coyote gathered what few soldiers he had left, Roshea, Sedgar, Vyland and myself included, moving to a fort a few miles from the castle with the king and princess Nyna, who had recently been found just inside the borders of the kingdom, having somehow escaped from Doluna's grasp.

We continued to fight, but the hopelessness of the situation had started to weigh on all of our minds. It was at that point that we heard it; news that prince Marth of Altea had indeed evaded capture and was coming to join forces with us, bringing an army of his own in tow. That information alone was enough to keep us going until he arrived. On the day he did, my brothers – or so we had come to call each other – were summoned to the fort's entrance, soon after finding ourselves in the middle of a battlefield, fighting desperately alongside our liege as we slowly moved towards the militia that was our hope.


	4. Chapter 4: Alliance

**Salutations, readers! I would first like to apologize for the huge delay between my last update and this one, I have been mega busy with schoolwork, relatives, writers block, etc. and, whilst I'm sure I deserve all manner of projectiles thrown at my head, I would appreciate it if you didn't fling them at me.** **Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review! Please, please, please, please, please!**

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Another of my arrows meets it's mark, my target dropping his weapon and falling to the ground whilst showering curses on me with his final breath. I frown, brushing my hair out of my eyes with the back of my hand – only for it to fall back into it's original position almost immediately – and survey my surroundings. Vyland appears to be having a bit of trouble with a pegasus knight, but he's slowly gaining the upper hand. Roshea isn't having any problems as far as I can see, and Sedgar is helping lord Hardin deal with a rather annoying archer. The only problem is the reinforcements. They keep pouring out of the forts to the left and right of the palace, and they aren't showing any signs of stopping.

I give a sigh, taking another arrow from the quiver on my back and firing it somewhat absentmindedly at the nearest Medonian. It hits him squarely in the chest and he too falls to the ground, his blood staining the earth underneath his now lifeless form. But his death might as well be meaningless, as he is quickly replaced by yet another of his comrades-in-arms.

We're all fighting as hard as we can, but no matter how many people we kill, we're slowly but surely being overwhelmed. I occasionally catch glimpses of the Altean army through the pandemonium of combat. They don't seem to be having quite as much trouble as we are, but then again, their army is considerably larger... I nearly slap myself. _What am I doing?! Distraction like this on the battlefield costs lives..._

Shaking my head in frustration at my own idleness, I turn my horse to the right, catching sight of lord Hardin in the process. He appears to be talking to someone.

I do a double take. _What in Aurelis...? He's definitely having a conversation... In the middle of a battlefield... with enemies crawling about all over the place..._ Feeling rather confused, I dig my heels in my horse's sides, spurring it on.

"Coyote?" I say in a slightly bemused voice as I approach him. He turns, smiling slightly when he sees that it's me.

"Ah, Wolf. Is something the matter?"

"Only that, if I may be so bold, it is not exactly wise to have a conversation in the middle of conflict." he laughs slightly.

"Ever the voice of reason, aren't you? But I'm afraid that this is rather important." he turns back to whoever he was talking to. "You'll forgive me for this interruption. All the same, I stand by my original decision, prince Marth."I blink. _Prince Marth? ...Oh._

"Very well, lord Hardin." comes a voice from the other side of Coyote's horse. "If it is truly your wish for me to continue to lead the army, then I will not argue." my liege nods.

"Good. Now let us oust these Medonian scoundrels once and for all. Best of luck to you, prince." after finishing his sentence, he turns away, beckoning to me as he does so. "Come along then, Wolf." he pauses, a slightly mischievous glint in his eyes as he adds: "I think there has been quite enough chatting on the battlefield for one day."

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A victorious shout rises from the direction of the castle as I finish off the last Medonian in my sight. I dismount, running a hand along the sweaty neck of my horse once I'm on the ground.

"Goodness, but that was a fierce battle." says a voice from behind me. I nod, not bothering to look round as Roshea comes to stand beside me, leading his own horse by the reins as he does so. "I was starting to wonder if it would ever end."

"Fierce or not, it would seem we have now managed to overcome our enemy." Sedgar adds as he joins us, Vyland walking not too far behind him.

"I have to hand it to the Alteans, though; without their help we would have been in a right fix." Roshea remarks thoughtfully, frowning slightly.

"I think you mean 'a bigger fix than we were in already'." I correct, finally turning to face my friends. Vyland snorts.

"That would probably be more correct, yes." we're interrupted by the sound of horses hooves from behind us. We turn around as lord Hardin reins in his horse, giving us a faint smile.

"The Altean army will soon be attempting to retake the castle." he says, looking down at me. "While they do so, I would appreciate it if you, Sedgar, Roshea and Vyland would escort princess Nyna here to meet prince Marth. I dare say she is eager to hear that the battle has been won."

"Very well, Coyote." I answer, then watch as my liege nods his thanks and leaves to join the Altean militia. Once he's gone, I signal to the others and we mount our horses, beginning the long ride back to the fortress where we started.


	5. Chapter 5: Fighting

**Hello, readers! First of all I'd like to sincerely apologize for the huge wait and the stupidly short chapter you've gotten out of it, and second of all I'd like to mention that, since it's soon to be the summer holidays and I'll have more time to myself, chapter updates should be a bit more regular than they have been. Hopefully. Either way, enjoy Chapter 5! Oh, and please, please, please, please, ****_PLEASE _****review. I could really use the motivation. Anyways, enough rambling. On with the story!**

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Thus we liberated Aurelis. Princess Nyna gifted prince Marth with the Fire Emblem, requesting that he lead his might against Doluna, end the war and bring peace back to the continent. My brothers, lord Hardin and I joined the ranks of the Altean army or, as we soon discovered it was being called, the Akaneian League. Countless battles seemed to follow as we fought for Akaneia's freedom and Medeus' destruction, but although we were often outnumbered, we were always able to emerge victorious from any situation, no matter how dire.

The war continued on for over a year. We made new and strong allies, freed or captured no end of lands and fought some of Akaneia's greatest legends, including sir Camus, the head of the kingdom of Grust's Sable order. We defeated him, albeit with some difficulty, and retrieved Gradivus, one of Akaneia's three regalia. However, when it was presented to princess Nyna, I couldn't help but notice that she looked more sad than happy.

Either way, despite any obstructions we encountered, we advanced quickly through the continent. Eventually we defeated Gharnef, allowing prince Marth to retrieve the divine blade Falchion and reuniting him with his sister, princess Elice, whom he hadn't seen since the war started.

With Falchion by his side and his sister in the ranks of the army, the Altean prince became more determined than ever to destroy Medeus. We marched upon the Earth Dragon's stronghold, intending to put a stop to his plans and schemes once and for all. But, unfortunately, things rapidly got far more confusing than we'd first anticipated...

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**And then we have crazy opening and shutting doors, angry manaketes and a side of mild swearing to boot. Hope you're looking forward to the next chapter, it should be here soon. Thanks for reading!  
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	6. Chapter 6: Confusion

**Hello! Despite all the evidence that I had disappeared off the face of the planet, here I am! And with a relatively long (but not really) chapter, too. Either way, first off, I am sooo sorry for the lack of updates for so long. I have been crazily busy with school and all other forms of madness including some trouble with a friend of mine, and during November last year I took part in Nanowrimo, which got me into a serious writing kick, but also made me need a severe break from ****story writing. But still, thank you to everyone for the lovely reviews and support, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

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Not even the thick walls of Medeus' castle can conceal the horrors of battle; the screams, the sounds of bodies falling to the ground, the feeling of terror that electrifies the air. A lot of people say that war is Hell, but they don't really know that. They don't know it because they've never actually had to fight.

Not that it's the first time I've experienced any of this; I've fought in countless battles throughout this war. So many that I'm no longer alarmed by the sounds, the sights, the fear and the smell of blood. None of this is new to me. And by now, neither is the fact that another door just slammed shut in my face, trapping me, my brothers and lord Hardin in a large hallway. Again.

I curse under my breath, dismounting and slamming my shoulder into the metal barricade in front of me so hard that the wall shakes. But despite all my force, it stays firmly in place, and I get nothing from my efforts except a sharp pain all up the right side of my body. I give an annoyed sigh, afterwards leaning my back against the wall and crossing my arms, not even briefly contemplating remounting my horse. Roshea seems to notice this, and shoots me a questioning look from across the room. I sigh.

"It's not going to open for at least another half an hour. There's not really any point." I hear another banging noise, and about a minute later Vyland walks around a bend in the hallway, leading his horse by the reins and shaking his head when he catches sight of the rest of us.

"It's no use. The other-" he swears loudly, "-door slammed shut as soon as I got anywhere near it." Sedgar brings a hand to his forehead with a loud smack, and Coyote makes a huffing noise as he looks heavenward.

"Naga, give us strength..." I hear him mutter before he lowers his gaze, resting it on the closed door as he tightens his grip on his sword. "Medeus must think this some sort of game."

"Since when was killing people ever a game?" Roshea pipes up, sounding light-hearted but looking thoroughly annoyed. I can't say I'm feeling any less agitated myself.

"Well, if he's trying to get rid of us, he's only making it take longer." Sedgar mentions, ignoring Roshea's remark. "Shutting doors in peoples' faces isn't exactly a recognised way of taking lives." I frown.

"Maybe not, but by trapping us he's keeping us from helping our comrades-in-arms, which could have dire consequences in itself." my observation is met by silence. But the quiet is shattered when, somewhere in the background, a dragon roars. A few flecks of dust fall from the ceiling as the entire hall starts trembling, and I find myself struggling to keep my balance as the floor shakes beneath me. It feels like the ground itself is being torn apart. My horse whinnies in fright, rearing up on it's hind legs and looking blatantly terrified. I grab the reins, partly to keep it from running away and party to stop myself from falling over. But whilst the idea was a good one, a particularly violent tremor causes me to lose my footing anyway and I fall, smacking my head hard against the cold stone floor. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the shaking stops. I catch my lip, slowly forcing myself into a sitting position and trying to ignore the fact that the world has started spinning. I hear a groan not too far away, and Sedgar's voice follows a few seconds after.

"What in the name of Akaneia and the divine blade of light was _that_?!"

"Not a clue." says another voice, coming from Roshea's general direction. "But by the gods, I hope it doesn't happen again. Is everyone alright?" there are a few mutters of confirmation from around the room, mixed with the occasional bad word. I stand up, leaning one hand against the wall for support. I feel something sliding down the side of forehead, wiping it away with the back of a gloved hand to find it's blood. Perfect.

I see lord Hardin standing near his horse. I don't remember him dismounting, and I find myself hoping that he didn't fall off. But he seems alright, although deep in thought. After a while, something unusual happens. I let my curiosity get the better of me.

"Are you alright, my lord? You seem thoughtful." he turns to look at me.

"I was just trying to think of the reason for that tremor. I doubt it was caused by anyone on our side..." I think this over.

"Isn't Medeus an Earth Dragon?" I mention. Lord Hardin seems to be thinking this over. Vyland sighs.

"Well, that pretty much explains it." there's silence. I start to feel annoyed. My brothers and I have all killed uncountable numbers of Medeus' followers, and Coyote himself hasn't exactly been idle, but either way, we're anxious to get back to the fighting. It's not a lust for harming others that makes us so eager to continue shattering the opposition, but rather concern for our comrades-in-arms. They can all defend themselves perfectly well, but the onslaught of enemies didn't seem to be letting up when we became trapped, and we now have no idea if any of them are even still alive. I don't doubt their abilities, none of us do, but when you're trapped in a room with no way to get out, you can't really do much save worry. Especially when the leader of your army conveniently forgets to give you keys when you're going into a huge fortress full of locked doors.

Eventually I hear footsteps on the other side of the door, followed by a clicking noise and considerably loud slam when the door is thrown open and smacks against the opposite wall. I turn around in a flash, my hand on the hilt of my sword, only to find it's Rickard, a thief the Akaneian League picked up when he was being held hostage in Aurelis castle. He smirks.

"Well, this is interestin'." I glare at him and his smile disappears. He makes an 'erm' noise, looks skittish and eventually sighs. "Well, you better get back to the fight. There's not much different, though. Lena's Mend staff broke a while back, she had to get a new one from Maria, since she had at least five. The ballisticians are bein' a pain, but Jeorge, Linde, Astram and Midia are working together to take 'em out. Enemies still hurling themselves at us left and right, so that hasn't changed..." he continues to ramble on about every detail regarding the battle, from Merric's inability to find another two Bolganone tomes in the convoy to the amount of heads Minerva has chopped off with Hauteclere, oblivious to the subtle hints my brothers and I are giving him that he should shut up and actually let us get back to the fighting, mainly employed through use of annoyed looks, coughs, and tapping feet. I quickly get tired of his talking, however, and noticing a bishop sneaking up behind him, I take an arrow from the quiver on my back, putting it to the bowstring and pulling back, aiming near the vicinity of the young thief's head. Rickard blinks. "Look, I know I'm not the most honourable guy in the world, but that's kinda extreme..." he says, sounding panicked. I roll my eyes.

"Duck." I say. He's on the ground in a flash and I release the arrow equally quickly, striking my target squarely between the eyes. Rickard straightens back up and turns around to look at what I was shooting, afterwards turning back to me.

"Whoa, thanks!" he laughs. "For a second I thought you were goin' to shoot me!"

"If you don't move aside, stop talking and actually let us get back to the fight at hand, I just might." I say, putting as much threat into my words as possible. Rickard looks behind me at Roshea, the only one he can see, as if trying to find confirmation that I was joking. The latter merely gives him a blank look. He bites his lip nervously, stepping away from the door.

"Right. Well, uh... Good luck!" he manages. I ignore him, leading my horse through the opening, my hand on the hilt of my sword, and mounting after I'm through. The others follow suit, lord Hardin manoeuvring his horse in front of us before we start moving. It doesn't take us long to get back into the thick of the battle, cutting down, running through and shooting seemingly endless opponents. Bodies litter the floor, blood lies in pools around us as we fight, splashes of red on the black floor, walls and tapestries. The smell is foul, and the screams are the sorts of things that fill nightmares. Echoing through the halls accompanied by the clash of metal and the flaring sound of fire and thunder spells as they fly in every direction. As the battle progresses several more doors close in our faces, and the cries of pain and resistance grow less in number, along with the enemies we encounter. After about four hours we hear a shout, and next thing we know, Abel of the Altean knights comes riding into the hall we occupy. The corpses of our enemies lie around us, blood drips from our weapons, the crimson substance splashing against the floor in a rhythmic fashion. The green haired paladin smiles at us.

"Everyone has fought long and hard for this moment. Prince Marth wishes for me to relay his gratitude to you all for your strength and determination, at least until he can tell you himself." Roshea looks up from where he was inspecting an exceedingly dead Manakete next to sir Jeorge, who had joined our group after we assisted him in removing a general.

"Is it over?" the former asks tentatively. Abel's smile stretches into a grin.

"As over as over can be. My liege has slain Medeus with Falchion, and may that monster forever remain in Hell, I say." lord Hardin visibly relaxes at these words. Sir Jeorge brushes a stray part of his golden fringe out of his eyes with the hand that isn't holding his bow.

"That was over considerably faster that I thought it would be." he comments, placing his spare hand on his hips. Abel gives him an amused look.

"With all due respect, sir Jeorge, it took over seven hours, what with the doors and the ballisticians. That's quite a long time, you know."

"And with equal respect returned, sir Abel, these things can take far longer than a mere seven hours. I had originally thought we would be fighting for over half the day."

"It just goes to show how determined both ourselves and our comrades-in-arms were to finish this. It's a testimony to the Akaneian League's strength that we managed to prevail."

"And prevail we did." lord Hardin says. He sounds drained, the tiredness in his voice only now making me realise how exhausted I am.

"Well, one thing's for certain." I hear Sedgar say. I turn around to look at him. He smiles slightly. "The ground feels far more stable than it did before."

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**Thank you for reading! However, this is not the end! Please review/favourite/follow if you enjoyed it!**


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